In an office environment, desktop telephone service is typically provided by a private telephone communication system. A contemporary private telephone communication system consists of a switching network, a plurality of desktop telephones, and a voice mail server. Each desktop telephone is coupled to the switching network by an extension line that consists of twisted pair conductors that are terminated by a telephone jack in the office. Communication between the desktop telephone and the switching network over each extension line utilizes either proprietary digital signaling or plain old telephone service (POTS) signaling. The switching network is further coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using trunk lines that are connected to a central office switch that is typically managed by the local telephone service provider. The switching network controls calls between extensions and between an extension and a remote destination via a trunk line coupled to the PSTN.
Known telephone systems also provide single button speed dial functionality. A typical desktop telephone will include a plurality of “speed dial buttons.” A paper insert may be placed adjacent to the speed dial buttons for labeling each button. When a button is pressed, the system will automatically dial the number associated with the button.
A problem associated with such systems is that manual labeling of speed dial buttons is cumbersome. What is needed is a multi-media communication management system that is equipped with a control unit that enables the subscriber to conveniently access their most frequently used contact numbers in a mode that is simple to use.